VIII Air Force Composite Command
Command
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Group
Activated as 496th Fighter Training Group on 11 December 1943 at Greencastle by VIII Composite Command.
Transferred without personnel or equipment to Goxhill on 27 December 1943 and assigned to VIII Fighter Command. Classes began on 3 January 1944 for pilots who had received the basic training in the USA. They would practice ETO operational procedures and gunnery before being assigned to the Eighth of Ninth Air Forces.
Assigned to VIII Composite Command on 14 February 1944, and identified as No 8 Combat Crew Replacement Center.
Assigned to VIII Fighter Command on 29 September 1944, and ceased identification as No 8 CCRC.
Assigned to the 2nd Air Division November 1944 and reduced to a Headquarters Squadron of the 55th Fighter Training Squadron.
Moved to Halesworth 15 February 1945 to provide training for 2nd Scouting Force.
Disbanded May 1945.
Command
Command
VIII Fighter Command was established as VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field on 2 February 1942.
Division
In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Group
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Established | Greencastle | 11 December 1943 |
Based | Goxhill | 27 December 1943 |
Based | Halesworth | 15 February 1945 – June 1945 |
Military | Major | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 38FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD). Walter Achramowicz also went on to serve in the Korean War. He retired from the US Air Force in 1964 with the...
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 361st Fighter Group
Assigned to 376FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 496FTG 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 352nd Fighter Group
Assigned to 487FS, 352FG, 8AF USAAF. 118 combat missions flown from mid 1943 to Oct-44. Credited 9 aerial kills. Transferred to 496FTG. Completed Tour of Duty (ETD).
...
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 479th Fighter Group
Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to 436FS, 479FG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to 435FS, 479FG, 8AF USAAF.
End of War (EOW).
Military | First Lieutenant | 496th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Squadron Commander | 496th Fighter Training Group
Joined RAFVR, service pilot training in US Dallas Aviation School RAF refresher course, shipped overseas to ETO, operational training at OTU, assigned to 71S, led Blue Flight 1st mission over Dieppe 18-8-42, transferred to 334FS 4FG 8AF USAAF 16-9-42 —...
Military | Sergeant | Cameraman | 25th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW), was on bomber mission to Strasbourg, Germany with another unit (446th), Aug. 5, 1944 Went down on Weblpage, Ger.
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Completed (End) Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 369FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 368FS. Returned to 369FS. Crash landed at East Wretham in P-47 14-Jan-44 on return from operations. RTD.
Transferred to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 355FS, 354FG, 9AF USAAF. 80 missions. Failed to Return fighter sweep to Schifferstadt hit by return fire and shot down in P-51D 44-63193 21-Feb-45. Baled out POW. MACR 12599.
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. A/C lost 24-Oct-44. Capt Charles F Hess (1st Scouting Force) killed in training accident, bailing out too low due to engine failure.
P-38 Lightning
Anthony W 'Tony' Levier, a test pilot for Lockheed visited 8th AF bases to demonstrate his P-38J Lightning 42-68008, nicknamed "Snafuperman", he demonstrated the capability of the aircraft flying with one engine shut down. Previously he and chief...
P-51 Mustang
One-time personal aircraft of pilot Lt Fred Glover and crew chief S/Sgt Louis Moore, of the 336th Fighter Squadron. Transferred to 555FS, 496FG, 8AF USAAF, war weary. Mid Air Collision crashed River Humber/Tideway, pilot Lt John D Daniel baled out, 26...
P-51 Mustang
This was one of the first Mustangs assigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron.
...
P-51 Mustang
This aircraft was initially assigned to 486FS, 352FG, 8AF USAAF. Trasnferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.
...
P-51 Mustang
P-51B 43-12173 'Peg O' my Heart'
...
P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 554FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire W3815 Mk Vb Const #1985, Built at Eastleigh.
...
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
---|---|---|
02 December 2019 16:04:14 | Emily | Changes to description, aircraft types, unit encompassing associations, person associations and stations |
Sources | ||
Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual, pp121-124 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:28:33 | rossingtonj | Changes to type |
Sources | ||
Type added. |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:46 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |